Operating mechanism



y 1968 H. E. ROLFE, JR 3,391,956

OPERAT ING MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 24. 1966 Jig- / INVENTOR.

jaw

United States Patent 3,391,956 OPERATING MECHANISM Herbert E. Rolfe, Jr., Westland, Mich., assignor to Evans Products Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 574,739 6 Claims. (Cl. 292-210) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combined safety lock and release mechanism for an operating handle of a railway car door. The mechanism includes a locking member that coacts with the operating handle to restrain the operating handle and a combined safety latch and locking member release for precluding accidental disengagement of the locking member and for facilitating release of the locking member.

This invention relates to a operating mechanism for a door such as that of a railway car and more particularly to an improved safety lock for retaining an operating handle or the like against movement.

Railway freight cars normally have access doors in their side walls to permit loading and unloading of the car. It is common practice to employ an exteriorly positioned operating handle for locking the door in its closed position. In addition, some mechanism is normally provided to restrain the operating handle in its closed position to preclude accidental opening of the door. Such safety locks should be easily operable so as to readily permit the operating handle to be moved to an operative position but should positively retain the handle in its inoperative position. Although such locks have been previously proposed, they aften are not sufficiently positive to preclude accidental unlatching under the shocks encountered in railway transportation.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a improved safety lock for retaining an operating handle in a storage position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved safety lock that cannot be accidently opened.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved safety lock that not only functions as a locking member but also acts as an actuating member for releasing the locking member.

A safety lock embodying this invention is particularly adapted to retain an operating handle or the like in position. The safety lock comprises a locking member supported for movement between engaged and disengaged positions. A combined safety latch and locking member release means is supported for movement between first and second positions. The combined means has means for precluding accidental movement of the locking member from its engaged position to its disengaged position when the combined means is in its first position and also for moving the locking member from its engaged position to its disengaged position upon movement of the combined means from its first position to its second position.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds, particularly when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 as a partial side elevational view of a railway car embodying this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of FIGURE 1 showing the handle safety lock.

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 are views, in part similar to FIG- URE 2, showing the safety lock in other positions; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 3.

ice

Referring now in detail to the drawings and in particular to FIGURE 1, the reference numeral 11 indicates a portion of a railway freight car side wall that defines a doorway opening in which a door 12 is positioned. The door -12 is retained in its closed position by means of a locking mechanism of any known type and which may include an operating rod 13 upon which an operating handle 14 is pivotally supported by means of a bracket 15. The operating handle 14 is normally held in an inoperative position against the outer surface of the door 12 by means of a safety lock, indicated generally by the reference numeral 16 and shown in more detail in the remaining figures.

To open the door 12, the safety lock 16 is released and the handle 14 is swung outwardly from adjacent the door 12 by pivoting the bracket 15 and operating rod 13 about a vertical axis defined by the operating rod. The handle 14 is then raised or lowered to operate the locking device that restrains the door 12 in its closed position in any known manner. It is to be understood that although the safety lock 16 is described in combination with the aforenoted railway car door, various other uses for such a device will present itself to those skilled in the art and such applications are deemed to follow in the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Referring now to the remaining figures, the safety lock 16 is comprised of a generally L-shaped locking member 17 having a long leg 18 and a short leg 19. The locking member -17 is pivotally supported upon the door 12 by means of a pivot pin 21 adjacent the juncture of the legs 18 and 19. In the position shown in FIGURES 1 through 3, the long leg 18 extends across the front surface of the lower end of the operating handle 14 to preclude rotation of the operating handle 14 away from the door 12. In addition, the leg 18 may be formed with a projection (not shown) that engages the upper end of the operating handle 14 to preclude vertical movement of the operating handle. Alternatively, some other mechanism may be provided for limiting the counterclockwise direction of the locking member 17 about the pivot pin 21.

A small forging 22 having a generally L-shape is provided for precluding accidental opening of the locking member 17 and serves the additional function of rotating the locking member 17 from its engaged to its disengaged position. The forging 22 has a long leg 23 that extends across the outer surface of the locking member leg 18 and terminates in a upwardly extending handle portion 24. Adjacent the opposite end of the leg 23, an offset pin portion 25 is formed that is pivotally journaled within an aperture 26 formed at the end of the locking member leg 19. Another leg 27 extends outwardly from the portion 25 and terminates in an in-turned end portion 28.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the safety lock in its operative or engaged position wherein the handle 14 is held against movement. To release the locking mechanism, the handle portion 24 of the forging 22 is grasped and rotated in a clockwise direction. Initial rotation causes the forging 22 to pivot about the journal provided by the pin portion 25 upon the locking member 17 (FIGURE 3). This rotation continues until the offset portion 28 contacts an underside surface 29 of the locking member leg 18. Con tinned rotation of the forging 22 will then cause the forging 22 and locking member 17 to rotate in unison about the axis provided for by the pivot pin 21 (FIGURE 4). This rotation is continued until the locking member leg 18 is raised sufliciently so that the operating handle 14 may be swung outwardly from the door 12 in the manner previously described.

The locking device 16 also precludes accidental opening under force loads, particularly those that exert an upward force on the outer end of the locking device leg 18.

Such a force might otherwise tend to rotate the locking 9 member 17 in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 21. Unless this tendency to rotate is somehow precluded or limited, there is a possibility that the member 17 could move to a disengaged position and permit the handle 14 to swing freely from the door 12 and the door 12 might become accidentally unlatched.

FIGURE illustrates the type of motion that occurs under this direction force loading. Initially, the locking member 16 will rotate in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 21. The forging 22 will also be carried upward due to its pivotal support on member 17. This degree of movement is limited, however, by the contact of the 011- set arm 28 of the forging 22 with the end of the operating handle 14. This point of contact limits the degree of upward movement since the forging 22 and locking member 17 tend to rotate together. The contact of the handle portion 24 with the upper end of the locking device leg 18 precludes any relative movement between the members 17 and 22 in an opposite direction so that the locking device 17 cannot be accidentally released. It will be noted that the arm 18 still overlies the handle 14 in this extreme position so that there can be no accidental release of the handle 14.

It should be readily apparent that a relatively simple safety lock is provided by the described invention which safety lock cannot become accidentally opened. The member that precludes the accidental opening also serves as an operating device that may be utilized to release the locking member.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments. of the invention are well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A safety lock for restraining an operating handle or the like in position comprising a locking member supported for movement between handle engaging and disengaging positions and combined safety latch and locking member release means, said combined means being supported upon said locking member for movement from a first position through an intermediate position to a second position, said combined means having a portion adapted to engage the operating handle or the like for precluding accidental movement of said locking member from its engaging position to its disengaging position when said combined means is in its first position, said combined means being movable relative to said locking member from its first position to its intermediate positron wherein said portion is free from engagement with the operating handle or the like and means for moving said locking member from its engaging position to its disengaging position upon movement of said combined means from its intermediate position to its second position.

2. A safety look as set forth in claim 1 wherein the locking member is supported for pivotal movement between its engaging and disengaging positions.

3. A safety lock as set forth in claim 1 wherein the locking member is supported for pivotal movement between its engaging and disengaging positions and the combined means is pivotally supported upon the locking member;

4. A safety lock as set forth in claim 1 in combination with a railway car door including an operating rod and an operating handle for actuating said operating rod, said operating handle comprising the operating handle restrained by said safety lock.

5. A safety lock for restraining an operating handle or the like in position comprising a locking member having first and second leg portions, said locking memberbeing supported for pivotal movement contiguous to the juncture of said leg portions from a handle-engaging position wherein said first leg portion is adapted to overlie the operating handle or the like and preclude its movement to a disengaging position, and a combined safety latch and locking member release means, said combined means having first and second legs, means pivotally supporting said combined means intermediate the juncture of its legs upon said second leg of said locking member, said first leg of said combined means having an end portion adaptedto engage the handle or the like when said combined means is in a first position for precluding movement of said locking member from its engaging to its disengaging position, said end portion being adapted to engage said locking member first leg upon pivotal movement of said combined means relative to said locking member second leg from a first position to an intermediate position, said locking member and said combined means being simultaneously movable about the pivotal support of said locking member upon continued rotation of said combined means from said intermediate position to a second position, said end portion being engageable with the handle when said combined means is in its first position and when said locking member tends to pivot from its engaging to its disengaging position under force loading.

6. A safety lock as set forth in claim 5 in combination with a railway car door including an operating rod and an operating handle for actuating said operating rod, said operating handle comprising the operating handle restrained by said safety lock.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,204,667 11/1916 King 292210 1,324,428 12/1919 Mair 292-236 1,511,859 10/1924 Wine. 1,654,180 12/1927 Madland et al. 2,628,389 2/1953 Madland 292218 X RICHARD E. MOORE, Prim'ary Examiner. 

